Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-15


it. For between them stood the irrevocable
Past, who for good or evil had bound them
together in his unchanging bonds, and with
cords that could not be broken.
CHAPTER XIX.
HANS coETzEE CONES TO PRETORIA
When once he had taken the turn, Johns
recovery was rapid. Naturally Of a vigorous
constitution, when the artery had fairly
united he soon made up for the great loss Of
blood which lie had undergone, and little
more than month from the date of his
wound was, physically, almost as good a man
as ever.
One morning-it was the Goth Of March
Jess and he were sitting in "The Palatial"
garden. John was lying in q long cane deck
chair that jess had borrowed or stolen out Of
one OF tho; deserted houses, and smoking a
pipe.
They sat in silence; John putting away at
his pipe, and jess, her work-one Of his socks
lying idly upon her knees, with her hands
clasped over it and her eyes fixed upon the
lights and shadows that played with broad
fingers upon the wooded slopes beyond.
did not know it, was watching her face,
which, now that she was off her guard, was
no longer impassive, but seemed to mirror
the tender and glorious hope that was float
ing through her mind. Her lips were slightly
parted, and her wide eyes were full of soft,
strange light, while on the whole counten-
ance was look of eager thought and spiritu-
allied desire such as he had known portrayed
in ancient masterpieces upon the face Of the
virgin mother. jess was not, except as re-
CARDS her eyes and hair, even good looking
person. But at that moment John thought
that her face was touched with a diviner
beauty than he had yet seen on the face Of
woman. 1t thrilled him and appealed to him,
not as Bessies beauty had appealed, but to
that other side of his nature, of which Jess
alone could turn the key. Her face was more
like the face of spirit than human beings,
and it almost frightened him to see it.
"Jess," he said at last, "what are you think
ing of"
She started, and her face resumed its
normal air. 1t was as though mask had
been suddenly set upon it.
"Why 10 you ask:' she said.
because I want to know. I never saw
you look like that before"
She laughed little.
"You would think ME foolish if T told you
what was thinking about. Never mind, it
has gone wherever thoughts go. I will tell
you what I am thinking about now, which
is-that it is about time we got out of this
place. My uncle and Bessie will be half dis
tracted."
I, Il xl>o,x -
now. The relieving column can't be far of, I"
suggested John; for these foolish people in
Pretoria labored under firm belief that one
line morning they would be gratifed with
the sight of the light dancing down long
limo of British bayonets, and of Beers evapor-
ating in every direction like storm clouds be-
fore the sun.
jess shook her head. She Yas beginning
to lose faith III relieving columns that never
came.
"1f we don't help ourselves, my opinion is
that we may stop here till we are starved
out, which we pretty well arc However, it's
no use talking about 1t, so Pm of to get our
rations. Let's see, have you got everything
you want"
Everything, thanks"
aWelly then, mind you stop quiet till come
back"
"Why," laughed John, II am as strong as q
horse"
"Possibly; but that is what the doctor said,
you know. Good byem And jess took her
big basket and started on what John used to
feebly call her irrational undertaking."
She had not got fifty PAGES from the door
before she suddenly caught sight of familiar
form seated OIL familiar pony. The form
was fat and jovial looking, and tie pony was
small but also fat. 1t was Hans CoetZee-
none other!
jess could hardly believe her eyes. Old
Hans in Pretoria! What could it mean?
"Om Coctzee! ON Coetzee!" she called, as
he came ambling past her, evidently making
for the Heidelberg road.
The oil Boer pulled up his pony, and gazed
around him III mystificd way.
"Herc, ON Coetzee! Here"
"AlIemachter!" he said, jerking bis pony
round. ITS you, Missile Jess, is it9 Now
who would have thought of seeing you here?"
"Who would have thought of seeing you
here?" she answered.
"Yes, yes; it seems strange; dare say that
it seems strange. But am messenger Of
peace. like Uncle Noah's dove in the ark, you
know. The fact is" and he glanced round to
see ii anybody were listening, II have been
sent by the government to arrange about an
exchange Of prisoners"
"The government! What governments"
"What government? Why, the triumvirate,
Of course-whom may the Lord bless and
prosper as he did Jonah when he walked on
the wall of the city"
Joshua, when lie walked round the wall Of
the city," suggested Jess. "Jonah walked
down the whales throat"
"Ah! to be sure, so he did, and blew q
trumpet inside I remember now; though
am sure don't know how no did it. The
fact is that our glorious victories have quite
confused me. All! what thing it is to be
patriot! The dear Lord makes strong the
arm Of the patriot, and takes care that he hits
his man well in the middle"
"You have turned wonderfully patriotic all
of a sudden, Om Coetzee," said jess, tartly.
eyes, missile, yes; am u patriot to the
bone Of my back l hate the English govern.
ment; d-n the English government! Let us
have our land back and our volksraad. AL
mighty I saw who was in the right at
Laing's Mex there. All, those poor rooibaat-
jes! 1 shot four of them myself; two as they
came up and two Us they ran away, and the
last one went head over heels like buck
Poor man! cried for him afterward. did
not like going to fight at all, but Frank Null
ler sent tu ME and said that if did not go he
would have HE shot. All, he is devil Of
man, that Frank Muller! So l went, and
when saw how the dear Lord had put it into
the heart of the English general to be bigger
fool even that day than he is every day, and
to try and drive us out Of Laing's Mex with
a thousand of his poor rooibaatjes, then, I
tell you. saw where the right lay. and
said, 'D-n the English government! What
is the English government doing hereF and
after Ingogo l said it again."
"Never mind all that, Om Coetzee," broke
in jess. II have heard you tell u different
tale before, and perhaps you will again. Tell
ME, how are my uncle and my sister! Are
they at the farm?"
almighty! you don't suppose that have
been there to see, do you! But, yes, have
heard they are there. 1t is Il nice place, that
Mooifontein, and I think that l shall buy it
when we have turned all you English people
out of the land. Frank Muller told me that
they were there. And now must be getting
OH, or that devil of a man, Frank Muller,
will want to know what have been about"
som Coetzee," said jess, twill you do some
thing for me We are old friends, you
know md 7 once DerSllndpd nv I1ncle to